10 Walk-Off Thoughts on Roberto Perez making good on a promise, Adam Plutko making memories

Ryan Lewis Beacon Journal

Sunday

Jun 9, 2019 at 12:20 PMJun 9, 2019 at 12:21 PM

Here are 10 Walk-Off Thoughts after the Indians' 8-4 win over the New York Yankees Saturday night.

1. Roberto Perez's January promise has been validated. Prior to the season, Perez said he was looking forward to getting more at-bats on a regular basis, which he felt would have a significant benefit. Playing sparingly behind Yan Gomes — especially last year during Gomes' All-Star season — Perez felt he was trying to crush a home run every at-bat because he knew he wouldn't get very many chances. It was also tougher for him to adjust to how pitchers were adjusting to him throughout a series or a stretch of time.

2. He spent all winter in the Dominican Republic collecting as many at-bats as he could. And the results, with consistent playing time this season, have followed. It's a crazy sentence to consider, but Roberto Perez over the last week has been one the hottest hitters in baseball. He's hit a home run in four consecutive games. Two of those four traveled at least 439 feet, including his career-long bomb of 447 feet on Saturday. It also doesn't include a 406-foot double hit on Saturday that missed being a home run to the deepest part of Progressive Field by about half an inch.

3. “It’s much easier, man," Perez said about the effects of getting consistent playing time. "I was confident enough that when I get regular at-bats I was gonna be able to make some adjustments and see how other teams are attacking you that series. But it’s nice, man. It’s nice to be able to play every day and you know, knowing if you go 0-for-4 you’re confident that you’re gonna be back there the next day. I know it’s tough playing once a week or twice a week, but I’m not taking it for granted, man. This is the opportunity I was waiting for and now I’m just getting the most out of it.”

4. Perez has raised his average to .235 and his slugging percentage to .500. His slugging percentage had only been above .400 one time in any season in his career, and that was his .402 mark in 2014. His wRC+ in 2016 was 55, meaning he was 45-percent below league average as a hitter. In 2017, it was 73. Last year, it dropped to 40. Any improvement would be been considered a boon for an offense that needed it. Perez has offered that and much more, and now boasts a 116 wRC+.

5. It's reached the point that he's almost unrecognizable at the plate to his teammates. As he walked up to bat following his 406-foot double, Adam Plutko and Shane Bieber were talking in the dugout about his offense surge. And then: a loud crack, a ball traveling 447 feet and Perez jogging around the bases.

6. "Honestly, during that home run, Bieber and I were talking about, like, 'Who is this guy, man? We don't even recognize him,'" Plutko said. "And as he hit it, Shane said, 'Yeah, I think he's just a lot more confident now.' As soon as he said confident, the ball went over the fence. It couldn't have been better timing. It was just one of those weird things you put out into the ether. He's quite a power."

7. Perez acted as the designated hitter on Saturday. Afterward, he said he isn't exactly a fan of DHing. Indians manager Terry Francona wanted to stack the lineup with as many right-handers as he could against Yankees starter CC Sabathia. Perez, known more for his defensive attributes and his work with pitchers, all of a sudden had nothing to do when the Indians were in out on the field. With all that time on his hands, he was basically losing his mind.

8. "It’s tough, man. Being a DH, I really don’t like it," Perez said. "I’m not a fan of it. I don’t know how people do it. ... Just trying to stay loose, man. I tried to get some running, [up] that ramp [behind the dugout that leads to the clubhouse]. Just walking around, I asked [Carlos] Santana how he does it when he gets the DH. It’s just one of those things that you learn from it and try to get better at it. I don’t know when it’s gonna be the next time, so I was just taking advantage of the opportunity.”

9. Adam Plutko pitched well in his return from Triple-A Columbus, a positive step in the right direction during his up-and-down 2019 season. But, for him, toeing the rubber opposite Sabathia was the thrill of Saturday. As a reporter was asking a question and said, "I know you can't be paying too much attention to the other starter,' Plutko cut him off and said, "Oh, I was paying attention."

10. "I've been a huge fan of CC Sabathia for a long time," Plutko said in a sign of respect for the 18-year veteran and former Indians Cy Young Award winner. "Whether this is his last start at Progressive Field or not, to match up against him, that was pretty cool for me. Something I'll remember for sure for the rest of my life. That was pretty awesome, I'm not going to lie."

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

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